And the very ground seems glowing. Fiddle, viol sound right merry; Like a wondrous weft of magic All within the hall is whirling. “Leave me, leave me, Don Ramiro!” Sadly sounds amidst the tumult; Don Ramiro ever answers: “At thy bidding have I come here!” “In the name of God depart, then!” Clara with a firm voice utters, And the words she scarce had spoken When Ramiro vanish’d from her. Clara, death in every feature, Chilly, night-surrounded, stood there, And a swoon her lightsome figure To its darksome kingdom carries. But at last her misty slumber Yields, at last her eyelids open, But again, with deep amazement, Would she fain have closed her fair eyes. For since they began the dancing, From her seat had she not moved once, And she still sits by the bridegroom, And the anxious knight thus asks her “Say, why are thy cheeks so pallid? Wherefore is thine eye so darksome?”-- “And Ramiro?”--stammers Clara, And her tongue is mute with horror. But with deep and solemn wrinkles Is the bridegroom’s brow now furrow’d: “Lady, bloody news why seek’st thou? This day’s noontide died Ramiro.” 10. BELSHAZZAR. The midnight hour was coming on, In deathlike calm lay Babylon. But in the monarch’s castle high Held the monarch’s attendants gay revelry. And in the regal hall upstairs A regal feast Belshazzar shares. The servants in glittering circles recline, And empty the goblets of sparkling wine. The servants are shouting, the goblets ring, Delighting the heart of the ruthless king. The king’s cheeks feel a ruddy glow, The wine doth swell his ardour so. And blindly led on by his ardour’s wiles, The Godhead with blasphemous words he reviles. And wildly he curses and raves aloud, Approvingly bellow the serving crowd. The king commands with a look that burns, The servant hastens and soon returns. Many golden vessels he bears on his head, The spoils of Jehovah’s temple dread. And the monarch straight seized on a sacred cup With impious hand, and fill’d it up. And down to the dregs he drains it fast, And with foaming mouth exclaims at last: “Jehovah, thy power I here defy, The King of Babylon am I.” But scarcely had sounded the fearful word, When the heart of the king with terror was stirr’d. The yelling laughter is silenced all, And deathlike silence fills the hall. And see! And see! On the wall so white A human hand appears in sight. And letters of flame on the wall so white It wrote, and wrote, and vanish’d from sight. The king the writing with wonderment sees, As pale as death, and with trembling knees. The awestruck servants sat around, And silent sat, and utter’d no sound.